Norddeich, Germany, August 20, 2008--Ready Eddy? A young seal named Eddy peers out from a basket en route to his release into the North Sea from the island of Juist.

Eddy was raised at a seal rehabilitation and breeding station in Norddeich, which cares for about 30 to 80 orphaned seals each year. Seals are released when they reach a minimum weight of 55 pounds (25 kilograms).

—John Roach

—Photograph by Philpp Guelland/AFP/Getty Images

Flinder's Bay, Australia, August 26, 2008--A rare albino southern right whale calf frolics in waters off the coast of Western Australia. It is believed to be one of only ten white whales in the world.

Locals named the eight-week-old mammal Wilgi Manung, which is an aboriginal name for white whale. It will swim to the Antarctic for summer feeding in about a month.

The IUCN lists the southern right whale as a "lower risk, conservation dependent" species.

—Photograph by whales-australia.com/Steve Mitchell/Reuters

San Diego, California, August 21, 2008--A mother giraffe nuzzles her baby girl two days after she gave birth in front of guests at the San Diego Zoo.